Collars have been used on animals since mankind has domesticated them and caused them to do his bidding. The collars have had affixed to them ropes or tethers to hold the animals in check. Such collars are still in use for dogs and other domesticated animals. They serve as a means to control the animals, to restrain them and as a site to which are affixed leashes, identification tags, health tags and license tags. For small dogs and other small animals, attaching a leash to a metal loop affixed to the collar is all that is necessary to control the movements of the animal. When a large dog is to be handled, the dog can lurch Forward, pulling the leash suddenly and causing the handler to loose his or her balance and often, with a very large dog, to lose control of the animal altogether.
To prevent this from happening short looped leashes made of wide strips of a strong material have been developed which are much better at preventing the handler to lose balance when the dog pulls, but still do not give the handler complete control of a large strong dog.
Leather harnesses of various types have also been used with ropes, tethers or leashes. For special purposes, harnesses have had handles attached so that the person working with the dog would be closer and have more control. Seeing eye dogs have worn harnesses with rigid handles so the dogs could guide their masters and function with them as a single unit. In such cases the rigid handle is attached to the harness at a point behind the shoulders of the dog such that the dog walks slightly ahead of the person it is guiding. This produces a slight time lag when the dog stops before the signal is transferred to the person being led. Ideally, the dog should walk at the person's side with the head close to the person's leg. This permits the best communication between the dog mad the person being guided.
Law enforcement officers using dogs as companions on patrol or to sniff out narcotics or explosives must have the tightest control over their canine partners. Again leashes, even short sturdy ones do not provide the best control. If a dog is to be pulled back from an attack or from a container it has located the handler needs instant and complete control.
Choke-chains are also used by some animal handlers and trainers, but are strongly eschewed by others as cruel and injurious. A choke-chain can cause the animal's windpipe to be closed off or permanently damaged when the animal pulls or lurches forward.
All of the collars and leashes currently on the market are basically the same, differing primarily in the material of which they are made, not their design.
The instant invention is a dog collar designed to be used with large and powerful dogs, which in no way will injure the dogs, but will give the handler a degree of control not heretofore found. Additionally, a conventional leash can also be used with the collar of the present invention.